For the 'Best'
by mirror-child
Summary: A modern myth based off of the Judgment of Paris. The ending is slightly different, but other than that I tried to remain true to the story. Please read and review! Note; mild cursing and some very mild adult themes, underage drinking.


_A/N; __**Okay, this was my modern myth this year for Latin class. I wrote it when I was sick, but after much revision, I'm actually rather proud of it. So please read, and review!**_

_**On to the story; **_

**For the 'Best'**

I was never one of them

I was never one of them. Not that I ever wanted to be either. With that money of theirs, hell, they could have anything they wanted. Including those parties…

I had been to one once. As a freshman. Back when everyone was scared and the social statuses had not yet been set. I was friends with Artemis. She got 'in' because of her brother, Apollo.

There are more of them. Saintview High is full of them. But I'm the only outcast. They talk to everyone else, but it's like I'm in my own bubble. My given name is Eris. The goddess of discord. My mother was apparently on something when she named me. But Grandmother says I'm appropriately named. Eris, who wears shorts in the winter, just to see people squirm. Eris, who reads Stephan King novels and writes such 'goddamn good book reports' as her English teacher says that she has to read them at the front of the class, and finds enjoyment in seeing Aphrodite's normally beautifully tinged face turn pale green. Eris, who has a wall of her room devoted to newspaper clippings of murders. Me, Eris who never knew her mother and grew up with her batty grandmother as her only influence. The grandmother who tries (and fails) to grow Venus Fly Traps in her garden every year.

They have a right to hate me. I'm Different. Which is a sin above all others.

As my Grandmother says, I probably was appropriately named. Seeing people uncomfortable is how I get happy. Sadistic as it sounds. And that night I was bored. Very bored. Grandmother had gone to bed with a headache and a sleeping pill as big as her head. I could probably blow up the house and she would never wake up. But I didn't want to blow the house up. If she died, I would have no one else. So I was sitting in my room reading. What else! Greek mythology. I have read the book many times and it never grows old. The Greeks knew how to write stories. I had just gotten to the Prologue of the Trojan War. The Judgment of Paris. Its one of my favorite stories. I'm in it. Or my name sake. Whatever. I read it through twice. She really knows how to cause trouble. Like me. My face cracked into an evil grin and a slight laugh escaped my lips.

The next day at school I heard about the party. Some of the Gods, as I called them behind their back, were having a party. For the only reason that they felt like it. It was going to be that weekend. Saturday night. Everyone was invited. By everyone I mean the Social Elite. Not me. Never me.

For the next week I thought about the story. _'For the fairest'_. I would have to change it I thought. Into something that they could all understand. Something that sounds very unromantic. _'For the best'. _Their vacant minds probably don't know what 'fairest' means anyway.

And the apple I would also have to change. No one would want an apple. You could get them for a dollar a pound at the farmers market this time of year. No… something more modern. An apple… think apple… Apple Inc.? Apple… what did they sell?

Friday morning as I sat at the kitchen table looking into my Cheerio's. Grandmother never lets me go to up to New York by myself so I would have to cut school. Since she never wants to go up to New York. I had looked up the train table online. I had my day planed. I would take the 9:15 train up there, and arrive at about 11:45. Then I would walk to the Apple store, then stop by McDonalds grab some food to go and take the 1:00 train back home, and get back home at 3:30. Perfect timing for getting home.

If this had been a myth, it would have all gone wonderfully. My trains would have been on time, there wouldn't have been a line, and Grandmother would have never noticed that I didn't eat the lunch she packed me. But the fates are mean.

After waiting half an hour for the train I asked the station master when the train would be here. He said that it was running an hour behind schedule. So at 10:26 the train pulled into the station. I got on and arrived at 12:15. I practically ran to the Apple store and then after trying to find something within my minimal price range, I had to wait almost an hour to get to the counter. Then I couldn't find a McDonalds and when I finally did there was a long wait, so I missed my train back and when I finally got home it was 5:00.

Grandmother was there, standing on the porch with her hands on her hips. After demanding where I had been, I said that I had stopped by the store to get something. She demanded I show it to her. Knowing I was screwed I said that it was a birthday present for her. Which is in November, she narrowed her eyes suspiciously; I never got her presents. I smiled sweetly and said that I had a lot of homework to do. She watched me go up the stairs and I breathed a sigh of relief when I finally closed the door.

Later that night, I was unpacking my lunch and Grandmother walked in, demanding what I was doing. I said I was unpacking my lunch. She asked why I hadn't eaten it. I said I had gone out to eat with some friends. For the next hour she interrogated me on exactly who I had eaten with. I lied easily, it comes with loving discord. Lies make people uneasy, and uneasiness makes people scared, and fear makes people suspicious, which makes people untrusting etc. And then all hell breaks loose. It's a wonderful sight.

The next day I slept until noon, the party wasn't starting until 5. I watched TV for a couple hours and then read the story again. After we had eaten dinner I went upstairs with a fake headache. Grandmother took her extra large sleeping pill and went to bed. By this time it was 9. I waited another two hours and then snuck out, landing soundlessly on the garage roof with the rusty Ford, I jumped off that into the leaf pile and then slipped on something, landing on my butt. I looked down and saw the half rotten front page of Victoria Secret, Aphrodite's holey face smiling up at me. (She is one of the models) In the dim light it looked like her face was decomposing. A nervous giggle escaped my lips and I quickly ran off.

The party was being held at Zeus's house. I ran all the way there, the makeup with the fancy tag that said '_For the best_' clutched safely by my hand in my pocket. I heard the party before I saw it. The blast of music made my body shake with the beat, and the laughs of the party-goers making my soul shake with rage. How I hated the Gods.

When I turned the corner, I saw the party, all the windows lit up with the silhouettes of my peers drinking, hugging and dancing. Lucky for me, no one was outside, so I crept up to an open window without much difficulty. Peering inside I saw all of the Gods and Goddesses, their hips swaying to the music, and Hepatitis the cripple with the face defect , looking beat red dancing with Aphrodite, who looked a little bit disgusted. Hera and Zeus where in the middle of the room, dancing and laughing, while holding each other a little too close. And Hestia was off in a corner, looking hypnotized by the fire while one of the Nymphs talked at her. Hades was even there, trying to catch the eye of Persephone who was clinging to her sister while the latter talked with Athena about something. They where all there and I was glad of that. It would make it so much easier to cause my discord.

I watched them for a few more moments, before throwing the Apple-booty into the center of the room. It bounced off Hera's head and she let out a startled cry. Zeus picked it up and read what it said then handed it to Hera telling her she was the best. I swore under my breath, it wasn't going how I wanted it to. But then I realized that the room was quite. Too quite to be the hotspot of the night. I peered back in. All of the Goddesses where glairing daggers at the couple.

Then Aphrodite spoke up, she claimed that she should get the best prize, since (like totally) she (like totally) had (like totally) the (like totally) Victoria Secret (like totally) modeling job (OMG).

Athena disagreed, if she was going to be Valedictorian, they should give it to her as a congratulations present, best mind.

All of the Goddesses wanted the prize. Just like in the myth. Even the Nymphs wanted it, but their proposal was knocked down. Finally there where just three that thought they should get it, Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera. Just like in the myth. I could not believe my luck. Someone spoke up, asking Zeus to judge. Which is best? Brains, Beauty, or your girlfriend? Zeus stayed out of this one. It was a smart move. But he said that there was someone they could all ask.

He had just moved to the area. He was home schooled, so he couldn't judge any of them by how much he liked them. That stopped me for a moment. When had Zeus become smart like this?? Zeus would invite him over for the judgment later and he would decide who got the 'Apple'. I would keep my ears open. Something like this could be highly amusing.

On Monday I went back to school in jolly good spirits. No one even noticed that I had been absent, which was all the better. All it took was for someone smart to put two and two together. And it only got better.

Normally Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera were best buddies, nothing could separate them. But today they sat at different tables during lunch. Athena sat with me. Which was weird. I was used to having an entire table to myself. But then she came over

Her: Can I sit here?

Me: If you can find room.

Her: Boy, this is different

Me (Thinking) : _Yah think?_

She looked around: Did you hear what happened?

Me: Depends, I hear lots of stuff.

She gave me a weird look then looked at her friends: They both think their better than me.

Me: Maybe they are?

Her: But their not! Ones beautiful and the others going out with the most popular boy in school! But I'm smart. Which is way better.

Me: That depends on your point of view.

She sighed: I'm never going to win that. The boy doesn't even know us, and both of them have physical attributes.

I was exited, this was EXACTLY like the myth: Maybe you could bribe him…

She looked at me: But that's wrong.

Me: Dose it matter?

A smile appeared on her lips: No…

The bell rang. I ran off before she could say anything else. My plan was going perfectly.

In science the same thing happened with Hera. We got placed as lab partners, and she complained of the same thing as Athena. I said to bribe him, and ran off before she could get a word in. I didn't get to talk to Aphrodite, but the next day I over heard her talking about what she was going to bribe with.

Then I heard that this new boy was going to do the judging on Friday after school by the cherry tree in the park. I would follow them.

On Friday after school I located Athena, she's in my Homeroom and we have our lockers close to one another. I ran after her, keeping just out of sight. We arrived rather quickly, as Athena was practically running. I hid behind a bush close by, while Athena went over to the tree to await 'Paris' as I was calling him in my head. Soon Aphrodite and Hera arrived too and then he himself.

He was exactly what I had imagined. He had rather short spiked blond hair. A sort of sneerish look on his face, and was dressed in the latest style. But he was handsome, to someone like them.

He asked them if they where who he was judging. They asked if he was who was judging them. Then they started. He asked that they say something to make him want to pick them. Athena went first.

A battle plan to outsmart your enemies.

Then Hera

My influence to make you the coolest kid on the block.

And finally Aphrodite, she smiled a rather wicked smile and took a breath, I had a suspicion I knew what she was going to offer. And I was right.

Me.

That was all she said. He didn't even think about what he was doing, he handed the 'Apple' to Aphrodite without even a glance at the other two.

I should have known what was going to happen. Hera and Athena where dumbstruck that their beautiful friend was deemed to be better than them. They stayed mad at her too. And at each other, for making their chances even slimmer. They still don't talk to me. Which is fine. That was the most fun I had had in a long time. My name is still Eris, and as my Grandmother says, I live up to it well.

_A/A/N; __**So there you go! I'm rather proud of it, and my teacher liked it too, so tell me what you think! Any suggestions would be welcomed, so… that means… pressing that little blue button right below… **__**please??**__** For me? **_

_**mirror-child**_


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